St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-15
HAS A BROKEN neck,
BIT Still Lives, Despite a Terrible
Experience.
BARNEY BALDWIN'S PLIGHT.
A Talk With Natural Paradox
The Second Case Now on
Record.

Some new method of capital punish
ment must be devised. There is liv-
ing witness to the fact that broken
neck does not necessarily cause death.
and as the broken neck is the essential
eleme Mt of hanging, change must
come. On the third floor of the Nicollet
house Yesterday afternoon a cOnven-
ton of physicians looked with pro-
fessional interest and much non-pro-
fessional wonder at uBarney Baldwin.
whOpresents the anatomical paradox of
a man living with a broken neck.
About his waist is a powerful corset,
which supports steal arm coming up
from behind and carrying frame which
holds his head erect. The moment this
frame is removed, the head falls for
ward and utter Inconsistencies ensues.
The neck is broken at the sixth yertebra,
and so the physicians have attested,
following the example of the most noted
surgeons of the world.
This is the second case of broken
neck have SEEM" said Dr.. Allen as he
finished his examination. The other
was the case of my own father. He was
thrown from carriage and the cervical
vertebre were diSlOcated. But he not
only lived, but the neck regained its
strength. There is no doubt this mans
neck is really bIOken."
Barney Baldwin is accompanied by
his wife, an attentive little lady with
Minnie Maddern hair, who does all in
her power to make his life as comfort
able as possible. She is familiar with
his case and talks as glibly of the acct
dent and its results as does Barney him
self.
"Give an Irishman a fair show and
he'll beat the world" said that redoubt-
able individual. Il have gone through
enough to kill dozen ordinary men.
Yes, it was railroad accident, of
course. | was brakeman on the Louis
vile Il Nashville railroad, and the acct
dent happened last 10Th of March at
Birmingham, Ala. | was on a caboose
when the throttle of the engine flew
open and the jerk threwEme off. 1t was
a desperate struggle for life. In the
fall | diSlOcated my left shoulder, and
the next moment broke my right arm
trying to catch the step of a cabOOSe as
it went over ME. AS the engine came
along | threw up my leg to catch the
foot board and broke it in two places,
and the next moment the ash pan struck
me and was gone. When was picked
up unconscious, had my neck, both
arms, both legs and five ribs broken.
Suffer- Of course do, and it makes NE
irritable. and sometimes Eighty in my
talk. For three months l lay on rub
Der mattress filled with water. You
furnish the science and I'll find the
nerve said to the doctors"
Yet in spite of all this, there Barney
sat and talked easily of his bruises. He
ir nd fn
and constantly wears the corset and
mask. When the accident occurred he
wore gold watch in his pocket, which
was missing for fourteen hours. FL
nally, after cutting bolt head FROM his
chest, near the collar bone, the surgeon
cut the watch from his side, where it
had been forced by the cruel pressure
Il believe he will get well yet, ''said
DR.. Allen. "ThiS | base on my fathers
case. / think the ligaments will gradu-
ally grow stronger until he can support
his head without that frame. 1t may
take two years yet"
Il can wait that long," said Barney,
cheerfully. but it is very tough. There
is not minute in which | don't suffer.
Still think | notice signs of improve
ment. For while | could not see and
L had no control of my limbs. When
TIC uOcloI Iolu Hlc W IdlSe lily IlSHt
arm, my left one would come up, and
the same way with my legs. l don't do
that now. In the morning, when [
wake UP, rub my eyes and the doctors
say that is good sign"
This is certainly singular and very
Interesting case. 1t appears the cervical
vertebr8 were diSlOcated. without dam
aging the spinal cord seriously, so that
life was not endangered, though the
support of the head is removed. Physi-
clans pronounce it an anomalous case
and certainly this man must possess a
wonderful vital energy to survive such
terrible ordeal. He hopes to recover,
entirely, and in the mean time is max
ing comfortable living as dime mu-
caun freak